La Venexiana (founded 1995) is an Italian early music ensemble founded and led by Claudio Cavina, an Italian

countertenor A countertenor (also contra tenor) is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of the female contralto or mezzo-soprano voice types, generally extending from around G3 to D5 or E5, although a sopranist (a s ...

and conductor. Cavina studied in Bologna with the American singer and musicologist

Candace Smith Candace Elizabeth Smith (born February 1, 1977) is an American lawyer, actress, television personality, life coach, and author from Dayton, Ohio. Early life and education Smith was born in Dayton, Ohio and is a graduate of Chaminade Julienne Hig ...

, and then with the Swiss baritone

Kurt Widmer Kurt Widmer (28 December 1940 – 31 May 2023) was a Swiss baritone and voice teacher, who appeared and recorded internationally. He focused on concert singing, especially of oratorios from the Romantic period. His recordings cover a repertoire ...

and Belgian countertenor and conductor René Jacobs at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, then appeared regularly as a countertenor soloist and in choral works. La Venexiana, taking its name from an anonymous comedy '' La Venexiana'' ("The Venetian Girl", c.1537), was created to focus on the core four- and five-voice madrigal repertory of Sigismondo d'India, Luzzasco Luzzaschi, Luca Marenzio,

Barbara Strozzi Barbara Strozzi (also called Barbara Valle; baptised 6 August 1619 – 11 November 1677) was an Italian composer and singer of the Baroque Period. During her lifetime, Strozzi published eight volumes of her own music, and had more secular ...

Gesualdo da Venosa Carlo Gesualdo da Venosa ( – 8 September 1613) was Prince of Venosa and Count of Conza. As a composer he is known for writing madrigal (music), madrigals and pieces of Religious music, sacred music that use a Chromaticism, chromatic lang ...

, and

Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered ...

. The ensemble has later broadened to be the base of Cavina's productions and recordings of operas by Monteverdi and

Francesco Cavalli Francesco Cavalli (born Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni; 14 February 1602 – 14 January 1676) was a Republic of Venice, Venetian composer, organist and singer of the early Baroque music, Baroque period. He succeeded his teacher Claudio Monteverd ...

. With Cavina's increasing focus on opera, members of the ensemble have concurrently formed La Compagnia del Madrigale which has continued the Gesualdo series on the Glossa label.

Discography

* 1992 – Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Concerto delle Dame * 1996 – Marcello: Arias and Duets * 1997 – Barbara Strozzi: Primo Libra de' Madrigali (1644) * 1998 – Amori e Ombre: Duets and Catatas * 1999 – Handel: The 10 Italian Duets * 1999 – Claudio Monteverdi, Luca Morenzio, Sigismondo D'India, Luzzasco Luzzaschi: Madrigali * 1999 – Monteverdi: Settimo Libro di Madrigali * 1999 – Luzzaschi: Quinto Libro de' Madrigali * 1999 – Marenzio: Ninth Book of Madrigals * 1999 – Sigismondo d'India: Terzo Libro de Madrigali * 2001 – Sigismondo d'India: Primo Libro de Madrigali * 2001 – Marenzio: Il Sesto Libro de Madrigali * 2002 – Monteverdi: Terzo Libro * 2003 – Giaches de Wert: La Gerusalemme Liberata * 2003 – La Venexiana Live! Madrigals by Claudio Monteverdi * 2004 – Monteverdi: Quarto Libro dei Madrigali * 2004 – Monteverdi: Secondo Libro dei Madrigali (1590) * 2005 – Gesualdo: Quinto Libro di Madrigali (1611) * 2005 – Monteverdi: Sesto Libro dei Madrigali (1614) * 2005 – Monteverdi: Ottavo Libra dei Madrigali: Madrigali Geurrieri et Amorosi * 2006 – Gesualdo: Quarto libro de Madrigali * 2007 – Monteverdi: L'Orfeo * 2007 – Monteverdi: Quinto Libro dei Madrigali * 2008 – Monteverdi: Libri dei Madrigali, Books 1 and 9 * 2008 – Monteverdi: Terzo Libro dei Madrigali * 2008 – Monteverdi: Selva morale e spirituale * 2009 – Monteverdi: Scherzi Musicali * 2010 – Monteverdi: Il Nerone, ossia L'incoronazione di Poppea * 2011 – 'Round M: Monteverdi Meets Jazz * 2011 – Cavalli: Artemisia * 2011 – Luzzaschi – Concerto della Dame * 2012 – Monteverdi:

Il ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria ''Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria'' (Stattkus-Verzeichnis, SV 325, ''The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland'') is an List of operas by Claudio Monteverdi, opera consisting of a prologue and five acts (later revised to three), set by Claudio Montever ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Venexiana Early music groups